Cook County Audit Committee Meeting (May 13, 2026): Public Comments and ARPA Review

The Cook County Audit Committee met on May 13, 2026, at 11 a.m. The meeting was called to order by the Chair. After establishing a quorum, the committee approved a motion to allow remote participation and briefly recessed to hold a concurrent meeting of the Environment and Sustainability Committee before reconvening. The agenda included public comments, approval of prior meeting minutes, and a review of an audit of an ARPA-funded program.

Public Comments & Testimony

• George Blake Moore addressed the committee, urging Commissioner Stamps to engage directly with the community regarding the placement of red-light cameras. He expressed opposition to the cameras, arguing they are disproportionately placed in Black communities to generate revenue and described the practice as racist.
• Zoe Lee, founder of Chicago Flips Red, criticized local officials including Commissioner Stamps, alleging a property was taken for a flood zone project and later given to a developer. She also called for a forensic audit of county finances, claiming mismanagement.

Discussion Items

• Meeting Decorum: Commissioner Stamps raised a question about enforcement of committee decorum rules during public comments, specifically regarding personal remarks she considered disparaging. The Chair responded that whether speech crosses into harassment or intimidation is a legal determination that would be made by parliamentarian and legal counsel.
• Approval of Minutes: Vice Chair Morrison moved to approve the minutes of the January 14, 2026 meeting (item 26-1401). The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.
• ARPA Audit Review: Heath Wolf of the Office of the County Auditor presented an audit of the Investing in Families and Youth program (NT 900), covering the period November 1, 2022, through November 30, 2024. The audit concluded that the monitoring process for ARPA funds was adequate and that funds were used as intended. Three observations were noted:
  1. Time tracking supervisor attestation forms were submitted late by the Bureau of Economic Development (BED), although BED’s process was described as more robust than county requirements.
  2. The Bureau of Budget and Management Services (DBMS) did not automatically trigger a required risk reassessment following a contract amendment.
  3. DBMS approved an advancement that exceeded the 50% of recorded fiscal year budget cap by 1% (51% vs 50%). BED provided management comments accepting the findings; DBMS did not provide additional comments but indicated agreement with the report.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes Approved: The committee approved the minutes of the January 14, 2026 meeting.
• ARPA Report Received and Filed: Commissioner Naya moved to receive and file the audit report (item 26-1134). The motion was seconded and passed on a roll call vote with 13 in favor and 4 absent (Commissioners Aguilar, Gaynor, Moore, and Scott).
• Meeting Adjourned: The meeting adjourned following the vote.